Amortentia
by thepiperscuriosity
Summary: Tonks finds a certain love potion, leading to a discussion of smells with Sirius, Remus and herself. The moment they finally realise friendship might not be the only thing they desire. All reviews welcome


so i've had a go at a one shot. i've come to an abrupt stop with my other on going fic as writers block has finally taken over my mind, and i've had this in my head for a while but it doesn't really fit into the other story. this starts off as tonks' point of view then changes to remus'. i hope you enjoy it, and all reviews are welcome :)

set sometime in the order of the phoenix.

* * *

_It'll be fun – you won't get hurt, she said' _Tonks thought to herself of the ill-advised words Molly had given her a mere half hour ago, as she tended to a rather nasty cut on her hand from a rather Dark Magic looking book. It was now the tenth injury she had received from this room, and as she sat on the bed that once belonged to Walburga Black, she concluded she was a lost cause, and would be safer observing than helping. If only she had someone to kiss her injuries better … Remus, No! She couldn't think like that. She focused her attention on watching as Ginny and Hermione carefully opening a rather cobwebbed cupboard, the Black Family emblem protruding out on the door and its glass panes lined with dust. Inside, perfectly straight rows of potions and bottles in an array of colours and sizes glistened from the light off the small hanging bulb.

"Oh my" Hermione breathed, reaching carefully for a tall green bottle from the middle shelf and examining the label.

"There must be at least what, fifty potions in here!" Ginny marvelled.

"Merlin knows how many are of Dark Magic" Hermione wondered, placing the bottle back.

This alerted the Auror of Tonks' personality, sending her over the stand behind them. "Careful girls"

"That's rich coming from you" Ginny mocked, nudging Tonks slightly in the ribs, causing them all to laugh. After the laughter had died down to uncontrollably small giggles, their attentions returned to the cupboard.

"So what _was_ that potion you were looking at earlier?" Tonks enquired to Hermione.

"It read 'Venenosis mentem'. It reveals the most negative and vile thoughts of the drinker out loud."

They exchanged apprehensive looks and continued with their search through the potions.

"Nos Manere Deformis" Hermione read aloud, holding a jagged black bottle. "Permanently disfigures the person with scarring boils"

"Drink of Despair" Ginny held a glowing emerald green bottle cautiously.

The girls carried on clearing out the cupboard, Tonks watching carefully and noting down each of the potions. She noticed the 'usual's' for a typical potions cupboard; Sleeping Draught, Hair Colouring Potion, Beautification, Cough and Cold Potions. They put these aside to ask Molly if they could be of any use still later. Then, as they got deeper into the cupboard, all the potions darkened in colour to rows full of dark green and black shades.

"Blimey" Tonks muttered. "Half of these are illegal! How in Merlin… oh never mind, she was a Black, probably brewed her own, or knew a guy. Put those in this bag" she indicated to the bag she conjured up, which contents were now being slowly filled with illegal potions.

After a while, Ginny and Hermione found interest elsewhere in the pile of Dark Magic Books Tonks had started to clear, leaving Tonks to finish clearing the cupboard. Something out of the corner of her eye sparkled, causing her attention to return to the cupboard. It stood out from all the other darker potions with its bright pink rounded bottle. Tonks reached for the bottle and examined it, watching its silvery, glittery liquid swirling in the pattern of a heart.

"Amortentia" Tonks marvelled quietly. She'd seen the label before years ago, when one of the girls she had shared a dorm with in Hogwarts tried to slip it in that poor Ravenclaw boy's pumpkin juice, ready for Valentine's Day, only it resulted in him being so infatuated that he broke his arm following her down the stairs. She looked around anxiously, making sure Ginny or Hermione had not seen her, before pocketing the potion into her right hand side coat pocket.

* * *

Remus sat quietly reading the Daily Prophet at the kitchen table, as an intoxicated Sirius amused himself with intent on annoying him.

"Moony! Moony!"

"Yes, Padfoot" he sighed in exasperation, placing the paper down.

"Moony! Moony!" Sirius continued in the style of a Muggle football chant.

"Totally off your head then I see?" he asked, giving a small smile in amusement as his friend almost fell off the wooden chair.

"The best w-way to be, my old friend" Sirius slurred. "You should try it next t-time, might loo-oosen yourself up, let go of the P-professor"

"Maybe next time"

"I'll hold you t-to your word-d-d" he gave a grimaced smile, unable to fully get to a smile in his state.

"Remus Lupin, drunk. This I _will _have to see! Count me in."

Remus heard the voice behind him and instantly knew who it was from the sheer electricity that ran through his spine. He turned his head and saw Tonks standing in the doorway. She gave a playful wink before seating herself in between Sirius and himself, rather closely to him more than Sirius he noted, and pulled out a rather bright pink, rounded bottle with its glittering contents swirling in the shape of a heart.

"Your mother is quite the interesting character" she directed to Sirius, whose ears perked up. "Found some rather interesting potions up in that cupboard, some I should mention to the Ministry, including … this".

Remus watched her push the bottle towards Sirius, who looked at it in distaste.

"Is this a love potion? You do realise Nympha- nymph … Tonks that I am your cousin. It would be wrong-"

"No it's not mine, or for you, you drunken idiot" Tonks stopped him before saying anything too embarrassing. "It belongs to dear old Walburga. It's Amortentia: the strongest love potion in the world".

"It has a different aroma for everyone, based on who they desire: consciously or unconsciously" Remus chimed in, remembering the distinctive smell from his Hogwarts days in Potions. Freshly cut grass, a rose smelling perfume and mint: reminding him of Dorcas Meadowes.

"Oh yes, I'd completely forgotten" Tonks eyed him warily, the look on her face trying to read into his thoughts. She grabbed back the potion and examined it carefully. Finally, she opened the cork, and put the lid of the bottle near her nose, and sniffed cautiously.

Her face gave away her surprise. "New books, a mix of tobacco and gunpowder and …" she sniffed again, a blush creeping onto her cheeks as the tips of her hair turned red. "… Err, chocolate".

"Ha!" Sirius gave a barking laugh, causing both Tonks and himself to jump in surprise. "Sounds like someone has taking a liking to M–"

"So what does it smell like to you then?" Tonks interrupted, stumbling over how fast she spoke. She had become somewhat nervous like he had never seen her before, and she would not meet his eyes. He wondered if she has realised whom it was she could 'smell'. Maybe, just maybe it was himself. He snapped out of his wishing thoughts as he watched Sirius take a whiff of the love potion.

"As it has always smelt; butterbeer, fire and the seaside"

"Marlene?" Remus gave a small smile as he watched his friend turn solemn, and drink some more of his firewhisky in his glass. "After all this time?"

"It would seem so"

"Who's Marlene?" Tonks asked, finally meeting his own eyes.

"Marlene McKinnon. The only girl I ever know of that Padfoot here actually bothered to know her surname." He watched her smile at his joke, causing the hair on his arms to stand. "She was a year younger than us, a member of the original Order. Her and her whole family were wiped out by Death Eaters just a few months before James and Lily"

"Oh, I'm sorry Sirius …"

"It's just the way things go" he drained his glass, pouring himself another glass before pushing the potion in Remus' direction. "Go on then, it looks like it's your turn. Still smell Miss Meadowes?"

He thought he saw something flicker across Tonks' face. Was it jealously, envy, or just the trick of the light? He pushed those thoughts aside and gently sniffed the top of the bottle.

Remus felt his eyebrows shoot up in surprise, and could feel the heat rise in his face. It seemed he could no longer smell freshly cut grass, a rose smelling perfume and mint, but three completely different scents.

"Ahh" Sirius said, hiccupping. "So it's changed. Care to s-share with the rest of the t-table?"

Remus breathed in again, double checking over his original thoughts. "I smell … forests, some sort of fruity perfume and … bubble gum" he realised he had said the wrong thing in front of Sirius after the words left his mouth. Sirius gave another barking laugh, sending his glass flying over by the love potion and falling off his chair, rolling in hiccups and fits of laughter. Remus hung his head, and he could feel Tonks' eyes graining into the back of his head. Courage grew within him and he lifted his head and shrugged, appearing to be not fazed by the reveal, and he caught her wearing a wickedly playful smile on her lips.

After what seemed like an eternity of silent communication between Tonks and himself, and Sirius' dying laughter, he watched as Sirius attempted to get back into his seat, and grab for his glass.

"Well, now that's out in the open for the_ both_ of you, I think I'll leave you two _alone_" and with that he stood, and downed the remainder of his glass. Remus watched as Tonks titled her head to the side, a curious mischievous smile touching the corners of her mouth, watching her watch Sirius. He turned his head to look at him and realised he wasn't drinking out of his glass but …

"Sirius, your firewhisky goggled eyes have deceived you-

Tonks cut in and finished off his sentence, giggling. "That's the Amortentia you idiot"

* * *

oh and if anyone was confused ... apparently the moon smells like gun powder, so that's why tonks can smell it for remus.


End file.
